Grass-catcher.



P. WETTEROTH.

GRASS CATO-HER.

APPLICATION FILED 0w. 2, 1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

f/VVEN TOA 7 7 Br I w zirromvsra- UNITED STATES PATEN OFFIC.

FRANK WETTEROTH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ZITTLOSEN MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

GRASS-CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Application filed October 2, 1909. Serial No. 520,685.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK T VnTTnRo'rI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Grass-Catcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in receptacles ordinarily disposed to the rear of a lawn mower for the purpose of receiving the cut particles of grass as they are thrown upward by the revolving blades of said mower; and the objects of my improvements are to provide a convenient means for carrying said catcher in the hand after it has been filled with grass which it is desired to discard at some point distant from the lawn, said means being so constructed and positioned as to comprise a brace or support for the sides of said receptacle without interfering with the collapse of the same while unused; additionally, means are provided for securing the flexible material, of which the catcher is prefer ably constructed, upon the metal frame whereby much of the stitching found in prior devices of like character is abolished.

Heretofore it has been the custom to stitch the canvas covering to the lower as well as the upper frame, but the floor of the receptacle receiving not only the weight of the grass but more or less violent pull from occasional contact with the ground, it has been found that said stitching, supporting the floor-canvas to the lower frame, eventually breaks or that said canvas straining against the heavy thread is torn and so permits the said floor or bottom to become loose and sag upon the ground, from which it becomes wet, dirty, and decays, while impeding the easy progress of the mower. To obviate such defects and to afiord other improvements hereinafter apparent, my invention embraces a plurality of little metallic clips, constructed of suitable yielding material and open at each end and longitudinally. which clamp the canvas about the rods of said lower frame. The edges of said clips may be coiled in order that no sharp surfaces are presented; they may be most rapidly applied; and it is impossible for breakage or wear, as previously discussed, to occur where they are positioned. Further, in the prior art the terminals of a helical spring, the latter used to retain the trunnions of the receptacle in engagement with the mower, are liable to slip downward upon a hinge joint of the frame, the constant movement of the joint referred to being then impeded by said unnatural position of said terminals and the constant friction eventually breaking the latter member, in which event the spring is rendered useless until repaired. Said latter defect I overcome by a peculiar formation of a portion of the frame, whereby said springterminals are positively insured against displacement.

The construction embodying these desiderata is illustrated in the accompanying views in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout: Figure 1 being a perspective of the skeleton of the improved receptacle, only a small section of its canvas side being shown for the purpose of exhibiting the manner of attaching the same by use of the aforementioned metallic clips; while Fig. 2 is a detail perspective, in enlarged section, illustrating the manner of positively positioning the said terminals of the spring out of contact or interference wit-h an adjacent hinge-joint, the View like wise disclosing a socket for the accommoelation of a coiled wire forming part of said hinge.

My improved receptacle may be said to comprise five distinct members, namely-- an upper frame; a lower frame; a spring; a twopurpose article designated a handlebrace; and the canvas-securing clips. Said upper and lower frames consist simply of two lengths of suitable wire, each of which is bent to afford an upper rear-bar l and a lower rear-bar 2, and upper side-bars 3 and lower side-bars 4. Continuing with the description of the top frame, it is to be noted that the original length of wire is coiled at its center to form an eye 5 for the reception andretention of a hook 5 upon an extremity of member 6, whereby said member has no free lateral movement, as formerly, against the canvas and hence the latter cannot there be torn. Side-bars 3 finally terminate at angle 7 and front-stays 8 are provided which, at their downward or lower extremity are sharply indented or crimped inwardly at 9 and immediately thereafter crimped outwardly at 10. By these lastly described formations a seat 11 is provided for the reception of terminals 11 of spring 12, and

outward crimp 10 not only provides a socket 13 but simultaneously renders it impossible for said terminals to descend upon movable coil 14: working in said socket. After the disposal of socket 13 the wire is bent at a right angle and prolonged into arms 15 which extend within said spring. Said lower frame consists, as aforementioned, of a rear and side-bars, 2 and 4:, said side-bars terminating in said coil 14, and after the formation of the latter the wire is continued upward and inwardly, terminating in trunnions 1G. The canvas or other suitable covering then being disposed upon the frame and secured, wherever desired, by the aforesaid clips 16 the extremities 17, l8, 19, of handle-brace 20 are clamped upon bars 1 and 3, the looped extremity 1T surrounding eye 5, and extremities 18, 19 being sunk within predeterminat-e depressions 21 and so positively looked upon the frame. Handle 22 is so disposed upon its wire support that upon lifting the receptacle, laden with grass or empty, the balance maintained is perfect: only one hand being used in t 'ansporting the same and the danger of spilling the debris over lawn and walks is obviated.

I am fully aware that the prior state of the art discloses grass catchers in which springs, equivalent to the one herein disclosed, are used; nor is it new to extend rods therethrough; nor to coil the wire of the lower frame about said rods, but I am not aware that my improvements, afore particularly pointed out and described, have been ant-icipated.

\Vhat- I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A receptacle of the class described, comprising a spring, and a metal frame, opposite members of said frame having a plurality of crimps adjacent the extremities of said spring, each terminal of the latter member having engagement about one of said crimps, the defining wall of the succeeding crimp preventing the descent of said terminals, and means for attaching said re ceptacl'e to a lawn mower.

2. A receptacle of the character described, comprising an upper and lower frame, the latter terminating forwardly in opposite eyelets from each of which continues a hook or trunnion, and the upper frame prolonged forwardly int-0 opposite vertical front-stays from each of which proceed at right angles a rod engaging the adjacent eyelet; a spring riding freely over said rods, said vertical front stays being provided with means for the positive retention of the terminals of said spring out of contact wit-h said eyelets.

3. A receptacle of the character described, comprising an upper and lower frame, the latter terminating forwardly in opposite eyelets from each of which continues a hook or trunnion, and the upper frame prolonged forwardly into opposite vertical front-stays from each of which proceed at right angles a rod engaging the adjacent eyelet; a spring riding freely over said rods, said vertical front stays being provided with means for the hinging of said eyelets and for the positive retention from contact therewith of the terminals of said spring.

4. A receptacle of the character described, comprising an upper and lower frame, the latter consisting of a rear-bar and side-rods at the extremities thereof and at rightangles thereto, said rods terminating in opposite eyelets from each of which continues an upwardly and outwardly directed hook or trunnion; said upper frame comprising like rear and side members, the latter terminating in vertical front-stays in the lower extremity of each of which are disposed oppositely directed crimps; a rod at right angles to each of said front stays and in continuity with the lower of each of said crimps; a spring loosely incasing said rods, the opposite terminals of said spring in engagement with the higher of said crimps; a flexible covering retained upon said frames by metallic clips; an eyelet in the rear bar of said upper frame; a hooked supporting member in pivotal engagement with said eyelet; and a combined handle and brace positively lock-ed upon the frame-work of said receptacle and so disposed as to insure against revolutionary or other movement of said receptacle while the same is carried by said handle.

FRANK VETTEROTH.

lVitnesses J. H. HAMiLTON, PAUL Gnossn. 

